Merry Christmas

[svenivan]

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope you have a good time together with family and friends!

:D

[Limbo]

I would like to extend these wishes to those among us without a Catholic or Christian background, yes, even to those who lost their faith in Santa Claus (btw: he originates from an American Coca Cola advertissement in the thirties, but don't tell the kids).

A long, long time before the Catholics pottered their mythology together, the moment that the days started to grow longer was celebrated with big fires: The Joel or Jul.

Yes, the light of the sun is coming back and we need it, especially the warmth of it, here in Chiang Rai (this morning 8,9 degrees C).

This is the real 'newyear'.

It started long time before the Holy Virgin Maria gave birth to the Son of God.

It started long time before the Romans had the first assembly of their newly elected Senate on the first of January.

It started at the beginning of days.

Enjoy it and be nice to each other

Limbo

[thomas3940]

I would like to extend these wishes to those among us without a Catholic or Christian background, yes, even to those who lost their faith in Santa Claus (btw: he originates from an American Coca Cola advertissement in the thirties, but don't tell the kids).

A long, long time before the Catholics pottered their mythology together, the moment that the days started to grow longer was celebrated with big fires: The Joel or Jul.

Yes, the light of the sun is coming back and we need it, especially the warmth of it, here in Chiang Rai (this morning 8,9 degrees C).

This is the real 'newyear'.

It started long time before the Holy Virgin Maria gave birth to the Son of God.

It started long time before the Romans had the first assembly of their newly elected Senate on the first of January.

It started at the beginning of days.

Enjoy it and be nice to each other

Limbo

American Origins. The American version of the Santa Claus figure received its inspiration and its name from the Dutch legend of Sinter Klaas, brought by settlers to New York in the 17th century. As early as 1773 the name appeared in the American press as St. A Claus, but it was the popular author Washington Irving who gave Americans their first detailed information about the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas. In his History of New York, published in 1809 under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, Irving described the arrival of the saint on horseback (unaccompanied by Black Peter) each Eve of Saint Nicholas. This Dutch-American Saint Nick achieved his fully Americanized form in 1823 in the poem A Visit From Saint Nicholasmore commonly known as The Night Before Christmas by writer Clement Clarke Moore . Moore included such details as the names of the reindeer; Santa Claus's laughs, winks, and nods; and the method by which Saint Nicholas, referred to as an elf, returns up the chimney. (Moore's phrase lays his finger aside of his nose was drawn directly from Irving's 1809 description.)

The American image of Santa Claus was further elaborated by illustrator Thomas Nast who depicted a rotund Santa for Christmas issues of Harper's magazine from the 1860s to the 1880s. Nast added such details as Santa's workshop at the North Pole and Santa's list of the good and bad children of the world. A human-sized version of Santa Claus, rather than the elf of Moore's poem, was depicted in a series of illustrations for Coca-Cola advertisements introduced in 1931. In modern versions of the Santa Claus legend, only his toy-shop workers are elves. Rudolph, the ninth reindeer, with a red and shiny nose, was invented in 1939 by an advertising writer for the Montgomery Ward Company.

[Limbo]

Thanks Thomas!

I only want to add that the REAL Sinterklaas still exists (in Holland of course).

He, a former Bishop of Myra, is the patron of children and sailors.

His existence is celebrated around his birthday (5 and 6 December).

That's when people give each other presents.

The last decade 'the commerce' is pushing for this fake American Santa Claus, who for some reason suddenly shows up at Christmas.

The white horse of Sinterklaas is replaced by Rudolph the rendeer

The Black Peters are now mostly replaced by Multi Coloured Peters on request of the Afro-Dutch people, who didn't want to be associated with the servants of Sinterklaas.

Anyhow, whatever, enjoy Christmas!

Limbo

See for yourself. Who would you trust to be the real one?

[Limbo]

Last year's Chiang Rai Santa Claus was a big fake!

Actually it was me.

I am sure you understand that it was an emotional splits for me to creep under the skin of this figure I detest so strongly. But it was on the request of some Australian friends.

And the text was easy to learn: Hohoho!

I had to go in psychotherapy for several months afterwards and I must say that I never will be the person I was before.

Limbo

Ban Hongli Santa Claus 2005 (with thanks to Wayne)

[goski]

Yes, after watching that picture I also got emotional problems. I need to lie down for a bit

[Big Gary]

Last year's Chiang Rai Santa Claus was a big fake!

Actually it was me.

I am sure you understand that it was an emotional splits for me to creep under the skin of this figure I detest so strongly. But it was on the request of some Australian friends.

And the text was easy to learn: Hohoho!

I had to go in psychotherapy for several months afterwards and I must say that I never will be the person I was before.

Limbo

Ban Hongli Santa Claus 2005 (with thanks to Wayne)

Yes Santa I was there running the bar.You did an excellant job and we all will miss you this year.

Big Gary

[Jai Dee]

Merry Christmas to all CR forum members and your families.